After hearing tall tales of the Victorian klondike, he jumped ship and made his way to the Castlemaine goldfields. Black Jack mined no fortune but he found his fame as the only American mariner to still be savoured alongside have claimed the eminent M.Chapoutier Trophy for Best Shiraz at the prestigious Le Concours des Vinson on no fewer than three occasions...
Found berth in the australian colonies during the goldrush of the 1850s»
Clonakilla are one of our nation's most eminent vineyard wineries, a tiny production operation, established by a CSIRO scientist at Murrumbateman, very near Canberra. It turned out to be a fortuitous planting, with a climate not dissimilar to Bordeaux and northern Rhone, the Clonakilla property now occupies a rank next to the mighty Grange on the prestigious Exceptional Langtons Classification, it yields vintages of Australia's most invaluable Shiraz. At $26.99, the estate's entry level belies its stature and excellence within the pantheon of great Australian wine, an essential experience this week for all enthusiasts, a canny choice for shrewd and judicious aspirants of elite new world Shiraz...
Here's what our most picky pundits prefer»
A complex, aromatically opulent cornucopia of flavour, bushels of fruit and classic autolysis within a glorious effervescence of the finest bubble. A mostly Shiraz Cuvee sourced from six of the Melton's best dry grown, old vine blocks... More»
A superb balance of fruit freshness, blackberries and spiced plum, cocoa and carob notes over a length of firm but silky tannins which are recognizably Taltarn. A Victorian flagship effort in the uniquely Australian experience of icon Shiraz Cabernet wines... More»
A full bodied palate offering white nectarines, figs and zesty lemony flavours. Xanadu's salubrious vineyards are at the heart of Margaret River's most prestigious viticultural precinct... More»
A long and balanced mouthfeel with fantastic rich black fruits on the middle palate. A continuation of the evolution in Shiraz from Voyager Estate and Margaret River... More»
Vibrant with rich fruit flavours of citrus, fleshy stonefruits and tropical notes. Voyager are meticulous in everything they do, from varietal and clonal selection to vineyard management and the winemaking process... More»
Stephen C. Pannell is one of Australia's most decorated winemakers, Jimmy Watson and twice Max Schubert Trophy winner, London International Winemaker of Year and Chairman National Wine Show. Pannell grew up amongst the illustrious plantings of his parents vineyards at Moss Wood, he established the profoundly artisanal Picardy of Pemberton and found time in between tours of duty at Wirra Wirra, Tintara and BRL Hardy, to do vintage in Burgundy, at the illustrious Mouton Rothschild and amongst the grand old vines of Barolo. Whatever the brand, regardless of vintage, S.C. Pannell's extraordinary wines are all distinct for their remarkable splendour, beguiling multi dimensionalism and breathtakingly seamless complexity...
Peerless value by our nation's finest»
Right next to the Merry Widow Inn at Glenrowan, infamous of Kelly gang folklore, Richard Bailey set up shop to service prospectors during the great Victorian gold rush of the 1860s. Rows of newly planted Shiraz soon followed and the Baileys released their first vintage in 1870. The region was ultimately infected by the terrible vine killing plague of the 1890s, a guarded blessing for Glenrowan, which elevated the quarantine status of its vitiated vineyards to a marque of the highest provenance. Baileys endure as one of the new world's most arcane and mythical wineworks, a small estate of historically significant parcels, producing limited vintages, defined by their exceptional value, purity of parentage and wondrous regional..
The bushranger's brew»